You don’t have to live in Massachusetts to concerned about your weight. Obesity and excess weight have plagued people all over the United States. There’s no quick fix. It’s all about eating healthy. However, there are a variety of ways to do that. One type of weight control is intermittent fasting. Intermittent fasting, also called IF, is about timing your food intake. It may include eating nothing or very light on one or two days a week to limiting it to a specific window of time, such as from 11:00 am to 7:00 pm. It’s not like regular fasting that can last a week or longer.
It’s not a new concept.
Animal studies date back as far as the 1940s. Those studies show that it slowed the aging process in rats. Today, human studies show intermittent fasting have health benefits for humans that go beyond just weight loss. Early man wasn’t able to eat every day, since food wasn’t readily available. Prehistoric people ate when they found food and that might not be for several days, so the body adjusted to that type of diet and may even function better that way.
The health benefits start by boosting the body’s autophagy.
Autophagy is the body’s process of self-cleaning. It finds damaged cells and breaks them down for recycling. It primarily occurs when insulin levels are low, such as when you’re in a fasting state. The process slows as you age, but by doing intermittent fasting, it can return to its more efficient youthful regeneration of the cells. IF has been shown to boost metabolism and also lower the risk and protect the body from conditions like Alzheimer’s disease and cancer.
You won’t have to starve, but you may feel inconvenienced.
While not everyone is a good candidate for IF, it’s perfectly safe for most people. People with diabetes shouldn’t attempt it without a doctor’s supervision. People with eating disorders, sleep disorders, on medication that require food, pregnant, lactating, those with cancer or impaired immune system or those with digestive issues shouldn’t fast. For everyone else, consuming a healthy diet and slightly modifying when you eat is all it takes.
- It helps to have meal plans that provide all the nutrients you need. You can make the meals ahead and use the eight hours of eating and sixteen hours of fasting approach to make it easier. You’ll feel fuller and eat less.
- We can help you with a healthy diet and will discuss the pros and cons of intermittent fasting with you. Our diets include those for diabetics and ones based on your DNA.
- One study showed that intermittent fasting can fat loss by as much as 7%. It also increased weight loss by 8%. IF can also improve insulin sensitivity, the brain hormone BDNF that prevents depression and reduces inflammation.
- One animal study showed that fasting produced Beta-hydroxybutyrate molecules that reversed vascular aging. It also builds more cells that line the interior of blood vessels, which doctors use as a marker for cellular youth.
For more information, contact us today at ProWeight Loss